A-20G Havoc MPM 1/72 - 453rd BG Museum Build

[CedB]

Here we go again - another bomber for the museum.

 

This time it's MPM's Havoc:

 

 

Jim's asked for the 416th version:

 

 

Let's have a look at the parts.

 

 

 

 

 

What's the detail and moulding like?

 

 

Nice. Pity the i/p will be shaved off for the lovely PE:

 

 

More later.

[Terry1954]

Front row seat, this one should be good! I quite like MPM kits.

 

Terry

[81-er]

In on the front row, excellent  

 

James

[T-21]

What scale please ?

[Hamden]

 

Another Ced bomber build I'll take a seat near the bar and watch the magic happen

 

  Stay safe             Roger

[CedB]

Welcome Terry, James and Roger.

 

Sorry Nigel - 1/72 (of course). I've changed the title. Out of practice!

 

Currently struggling with this so a big screen will hopefully help:

 

 

[CedB]

OK, it helped!

 

X1/2 bits obvious and on the seat already (see photo of instruction seat).

The confusing but was the two sets of lap straps.

I think it shows X3/22/20 assembled and then glued to a pad (X5 NOT X8 on the right)

Same for X4/22/20.

X8 seat adjuster.

 

By George I think I've got it…

[TheyJammedKenny!]

Looking forward to this.  You have quite a bit of Boston experience already, so this should be a snap.  My own Havoc is reaching what I hope will be a happy conclusion.  Hardest part was depicting the canopy closed, because the top part of the canopy transparency was a tad narrow given the way I expanded the fuselage top to accommodate the rear transparency.

[giemme]

I'm in!  

 

Ciao

[hendie]

wot? no paint yet?

 

Well, Giorgio's already sniffed the thread out so you know it's only a matter of time...thought I'd get in first is all.

 

 

 

I'll have a San Miguel and some dried cuttlefish please

[The Spadgent]

Another big un Mr B. Looks like she’ll be a winner. Love stripes so I’m in. 🦓 🖤🤍.

 

 Johnny

[CedB]

On 24/05/2023 at 15:58, TheyJammedKenny! said:

Looking forward to this.  You have quite a bit of Boston experience already, so this should be a snap.  My own Havoc is reaching what I hope will be a happy conclusion.  Hardest part was depicting the canopy closed, because the top part of the canopy transparency was a tad narrow given the way I expanded the fuselage top to accommodate the rear transparency.

Thanks Alex - I'll watch out for the canopy.

 

On 24/05/2023 at 16:00, giemme said:

I'm in!  

 

Ciao

Welcome Giorgio.

 

On 25/05/2023 at 00:03, hendie said:

wot? no paint yet?

 

Well, Giorgio's already sniffed the thread out so you know it's only a matter of time...thought I'd get in first is all.

 

 

 

I'll have a San Miguel and some dried cuttlefish please

Welcome hendie, Paint below!

 

6 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

Another big un Mr B. Looks like she’ll be a winner. Love stripes so I’m in. 🦓 🖤🤍.

 

 Johnny

Welcome Jont.

 

 

I think I've got the belts done:

 

 

Fiddly.

 

The instructions say one needs to carefully clean the panel inserts but mine were fine:

 

 

Bit of paint there. Even more here:

 

 

 

[giemme]

47 minutes ago, CedB said:

Bit of paint there. Even more here:

 

 

 

Ciao

[Heather Kay]

1 hour ago, CedB said:

The instructions say one needs to carefully clean the panel inserts but mine were fine:

It doesn’t look like you cut the corner on A21.  Hope that doesn’t come back and nip your ankles. Is there a tiny bit of PE to go on as well?

[Planebuilder62]

Dear Ced

Maybe you know this alreadt but I have found MPM kits need a lot of test fitting and forward planning. I really like their kits but with every one some during the build there is something major that does not fit well, normally wing roots, canopies or undercarriage legs. Test fitting these parts early in the build sequence avoids having to cut the kit aprt to fix, ask me how I know😊

 

Regards Toby

[Fritag]

Jim’ll have to give you a display cabinet of your own Ced  Maybe a whole annex? 

 

Anyroad - looks like fun and I’ll pull up a seat…

[CedB]

20 hours ago, giemme said:

 

 

 

Ciao

 

19 hours ago, Heather Kay said:

It doesn’t look like you cut the corner on A21.  Hope that doesn’t come back and nip your ankles. Is there a tiny bit of PE to go on as well?

Thanks Heather. I know! The instructions weren't clear about 'the corner' so we'll see what problems it causes later.

 

6 hours ago, Planebuilder62 said:

Dear Ced

Maybe you know this alreadt but I have found MPM kits need a lot of test fitting and forward planning. I really like their kits but with every one some during the build there is something major that does not fit well, normally wing roots, canopies or undercarriage legs. Test fitting these parts early in the build sequence avoids having to cut the kit aprt to fix, ask me how I know😊

 

Regards Toby

Thanks Toby. I'll be careful!

 

1 hour ago, Fritag said:

Jim’ll have to give you a display cabinet of your own Ced  Maybe a whole annex? 

 

Anyroad - looks like fun and I’ll pull up a seat…

 Not sure about that Steve - only two so far. 

Jim does have plenty of cabinets though…

 

 

PE. Not confident about this. 

The easy bit was using the plastic i/p to get the angle of the dangle right:

 

 

This though has been keeping me away from the bench:

 

 

See that throttle quadrant? 2 X18s and three X16s?

I've flown twins and I get things in pairs but five levers?

 

I found this great video on the A-20 with a tour of the cockpit:

 

 

I can see the two X18s (note red knobs) and three X16s but can't see all the labels.

Two together for RPM (white knobs).

 

Paul Budkick's great site has some black and white pictures. Six levers. That makes sense.

X19 - five slots. Hmmm.

Paul's site also has the Flight Operations manual.

That shows the lower quadrant (X9) controlling the carb air and boost controls (four levers).

And behind that the fuel controls, including one for the 'Wobble Pump'. Arf arf.

And the upper quadrant with pairs of levers for Mixture, Throttle and Prop pitch as I would expect.

 

Hmmm.

I've painted the levers on the tree to avoid more pondering.

 

Getting closer to close up:

 

 

Starboard PE applied anyway:

 

 

I think I'll just get on with it.

[Fritag]

1 hour ago, CedB said:

See that throttle quadrant? 2 X18s and three X16s?

 

Yer basic trubble is that piston engined aircraft always seem to have weedy little throttle levers with tiddly little knobs on top.

 

Yer jet fighters by comparison can usually be relied upon to have agricultural throttles, chunky enough to be doable comfortably even in 1/72.

 

Oh, and jets don’t have to have all of the multitude of extra mixture and pitch/rpm type levers that cause you to have three X16s or whatnot.

 

Just saying.

 

Good luck with it, Ced 

 

 

[giemme]

That's a lot of PE there, Ced!

 

Looking ace so far

 

Ciao 

[perdu]

Can someone explain why I never fancied modelling piston engined twins unless they was a Dominie or a Mossie?

 

Ah yes Thank You Ced, the perfect explanation...

 

Brave man old friend.

I'll be at the bar with Roger, chewing the fat in a state of constant "How does he do thattery"

[CedB]

20 hours ago, Fritag said:

 

Yer basic trubble is that piston engined aircraft always seem to have weedy little throttle levers with tiddly little knobs on top.

 

Yer jet fighters by comparison can usually be relied upon to have agricultural throttles, chunky enough to be doable comfortably even in 1/72.

 

Oh, and jets don’t have to have all of the multitude of extra mixture and pitch/rpm type levers that cause you to have three X16s or whatnot.

 

Just saying.

 

Good luck with it, Ced 

 

 

Tiddly little knobs - fnaar!

Thanks Steve.

 

1 hour ago, giemme said:

That's a lot of PE there, Ced!

 

Looking ace so far

 

Ciao 

Thanks Giorgio.

A lot indeed, and so tiny:

 

 

40 minutes ago, perdu said:

Can someone explain why I never fancied modelling piston engined twins unless they was a Dominie or a Mossie?

 

Ah yes Thank You Ced, the perfect explanation...

 

Brave man old friend.

I'll be at the bar with Roger, chewing the fat in a state of constant "How does he do thattery"

Dunno Bill. I still want to do a Dove/Devon. Pretty planes.

 

 

Start of close up. I/p in:

 

 

Doesn't really fit but the gap won't be visible, fingers crossed.

Throttle etc quadrant done:

 

 

No, I'm not going to zoom in more. Have a heart.

 

Bottom bits (snurf):

 

 

Time to put the windows in. Give us a break:

 

 

Very thick connectors around the window edges.

I saw them off:

 

 

…and glued them in, making sure the top window fitted the other fuselage half (hopefully):

 

[The Spadgent]

ooh that office looks like a busy thing on a shopping trip buying a new business suit and a spare roladex.  👏👏👏👏 Love it. Excellent PE wrestling too. 🤩🙌

 

Johnny

[hendie]

nice tidy work on the cockpit area Ced

[CedB]

Thanks Jont and hendie.

 

It fits!

 

 

Time to take it out again while I glue the halves together:

 

 

Bit curate's Egg - fits in parts. Now I just need to get rid of the seams:

 

 

Sprue gloop on the nose and behind the cockpit but not too bad.

The worse thing was that when I lined up the bottom edges the top edges shifted out.

Ho hum.

[bbudde]

Hi Ced , I?m also in here. Ha, this time from the start. More of course in mid June, when I will have finished with my colloqial ex am. Everything went well so far. Err, a typical Ced turbo build again?. Looks fine and busy so far

Chhers Benedikt